Summary on Kundan Kumar/Gaya
Kundan Kumar’s Journey in Strawberry Farming
Kundan Kumar, who used to sell strawberries in a shop in Delhi, had the idea of strawberry cultivation. Despite initially facing losses, he did not lose hope. Currently, he is earning a revenue of 16 lakhs from 2 acres of land. Kundan Kumar believes that traditional crops often incur heavy losses for farmers due to factors such as rainfall and drought. Therefore, he decided to explore new crops to avoid such losses. He has now started showing interest in strawberry cultivation, which has the potential to provide good income to farmers.
Expansion of Strawberry Farming in Gaya
Strawberry cultivation is also expanding in Gaya district, Bihar. Kundan Kumar, a farmer from Koch Prakhand area of the district, has cultivated strawberries on 2 acres of land. He has been engaged in this farming for the past 2 years, earning a revenue of 7-8 lakhs per acre. Previously, Kundan Kumar used to cultivate strawberries in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, but suffered significant losses during the lockdown. After returning to his village with his family, he started strawberry farming on a leased land in the Paderiya village near Panchanpur.
Earnings and Cultivation Process
Last year, Kundan Kumar earned approximately 10 lakhs from his strawberry farming. This year, he has cultivated strawberries on 2 acres of land and has already sold strawberries worth 2 lakhs. Apart from the local market in Gaya, he also sends strawberries to Jamshedpur and Kolkata. The current market price for strawberries is around 500-600 rupees per tray. Kundan Kumar has procured around 35,000 plants from Pune, Maharashtra, with a cost of approximately 4-5 lakhs. The plantation of these plants takes place in September-October, and the fruits start to appear from November. The entire cultivation process lasts for about 6 months, with fruits being harvested until March. Kundan Kumar also receives support from the agriculture department in his strawberry farming.
कुंदन कुमार गया के रहने वाले किसान हैं जिन्होंने पहले दिल्ली में स्ट्रॉबेरी बेचा करते थे। उन्हें स्ट्रॉबेरी की उत्पादन करने का विचार आया और उन्होंने बुलंदशहर में इसकी खेती शुरू की। लॉकडाउन के कारण उन्हें नुकसान हो गया और इसके बाद उन्होंने गांव चले आए और वहां पर दो एकड़ जमीन में स्ट्रॉबेरी की खेती शुरू की। उन्हें पिछले साल 10 लाख रुपए की आमदनी हुई थी और इस बार वह 2 एकड़ में इसकी खेती कर रहे हैं। वे अपनी स्ट्रॉबेरी को जमशेदपुर और कोलकाता में भी भेजते हैं और इसकी कीमत 500-600 रुपये प्रति ट्रे है। स्ट्रॉबेरी की खेती में उन्हें कृषि विभाग का सहयोग भी मिलता है।
